Author: Rhys Gregory

Carly Murray loves delivering work-based qualifications that have an impact on the individual as well as the learners they go on to support. [aoa id=”1″] For the past five years, Carly, 35, has been the Internal Quality Assurance assessor for the education and development team at ACT Limited. Based in Cardiff, she delivers Apprenticeships in Learning and Development and Higher Apprenticeships in Advice and Guidance. Now Carly’s dedication to her learners has been recognised as she has been shortlisted for this year’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru. She will be competing in the Work-based Learning Tutor and Assessor of the Year category…

She watched her twin sister fight for her life after contracting the flu when she failed to get the vaccination. Now nurse Sam Robinson is a trained Flu Champion and is taking the vital message about prevention beyond her own health board to NHS colleagues in England and Northern Ireland. [aoa id=”1″] The 44-year-old, who works in Neath Port Talbot Hospital, has been chosen as one of the faces of this year’s #jabathon. A week-long social media campaign, #jabathon is part of the NHS Employers flu fighter campaign. It aims to encourage health and social care staff across England and…

St Tydfil Shopping Centre is hosting a day of scarily good Halloween fun on Saturday 27th October.  [aoa id=”1″] Between 11am and 4pm, the centre is inviting children to come dressed in their scariest costumes and take part in a Safe Trick or Treating event. Young visitors simply need to search for the 10 Halloween posters displayed by stallholders in our Indoor Market or shop windows, and pop in to receive a sweet treat from the retailer. [/aoa] Lee Simmonds, Centre Manager at St Tydfil Shopping Centre, commented: “Our Safe Trick or Treating event is sure to be a hit…

Apprenticeships are at the heart of Lloyds Banking Group’s Helping Britain prosper plan. Launched in 2012, the company’s plan is to create 8,000 apprenticeships Britain-wide by 2020. It has already reached 5,750, including 600 in Wales, of which 150 were recruited this year. [aoa id=”1″] Now the company has been shortlisted for this year’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru. The company will be competing to become Macro Employer of the Year at the prestigious awards ceremony at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on November 9. The annual awards are designed to showcase and celebrate the outstanding achievements of learners, employers, tutors and…

A landmark Supreme Court ruling that compensation should be paid for an injury caused by a receptionist giving misleading information at A&E need not cause alarm throughout the NHS about increased levels of responsibility, according to a specialist medical negligence lawyer Chris Thorne.  L[aoa id=”1″] ast week’s decision in the case of Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust does not impose a new requirement on hard pressed A&E receptionists to provide medical advice, according to Chris Thorne who heads the personal injury and clinical negligence team at Clarke Willmott LLP.  “It merely confirms that no one in the medical setting should provide wholly misleading information without…

Denbighshire County Council has become the first local authority in the UK to use the latest herbicide-free weed killing technology. [aoa id=”1″] The Council’s Countryside Services has taken delivery of the new Foamstream M600 which uses heat and an organic foam made from olive oil, to kill plants. The foam is non-toxic and will enable the Council to reduce the amount of  herbicides it uses to control unwanted growth of plants and non-native invasive weeds including in sensitive areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation and county wildlife sites. [/aoa] Cllr Tony Thomas, lead member…

A ‘treasured tutor’ is how ACT Limited describes Kirsty Keane and it is easy to see why they hold her in such high esteem. [aoa id=”1″] Working with 16-18-year-olds as a Health and Social Care and early Years Care tutor since 2015, Kirsty has successfully supported 91 learners through a Level 1 Traineeship in Care with a 100% progression rate, an outstanding achievement at Traineeship level. This progression can be attributed to Kirsty making time for her learners, listening to their hopes, dreams and fears, at the same time planning unique learner experiences that exceed expectations for people often with…

Sure Chill has received national recognition for innovation after winning the UK Eagle Lab Innovation category at the Barclays’ annual High-Growth & Entrepreneur Awards. The awards celebrate entrepreneurs’ success, leadership and positive impact on society. [aoa id=”1″] Clean-tech firm Sure Chill and residents of the Cardiff Eagle Lab which opened in 2018, has developed a unique cooling technology approved by the World Health Organization that ensures a refrigerator remains completely cool during any power outage. Its globally patented technology is revolutionising refrigeration and cooling because where traditional refrigerators need constant power, Sure Chill’s doesn’t. ASure Chill medical refrigerator can last without…

Business leaders from across South Wales have felt the ‘byte’ by sleeping out to help raise funds and awareness to combat youth homelessness. [aoa id=”1″]Byte Night Wales, which supports Action for Children, is the UK’s largest national corporate sleepout event, with individuals and teams from the technology and business services sectors sleeping out to raise vital funds. Taking place in The Principality Stadium for the third year running, event organisers set an ambitious fundraising target of £75,000.[/aoa] Action for Children is a nationwide charity committed to safeguarding young and vulnerable homeless people. A number of businesses from across Wales took…

In a bid to help people build a closer support network within their local community, Sainsbury’s will be trialling Talking Tables in selected stores in Wales, a new initiative designed to help facilitate more conversations and bridge community connections in store. Talking Tables will be trialled in the local Sainsbury’s Swansea, Pontllanfraith, Cwmbrand and Newport stores. [aoa id=”1″]It comes as new research from Sainsbury’s latest Living Well Index, developed in partnership with leading researchers Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research, reveals the UK’s sense of wellbeing has fallen in the past twelve months – with loneliness identified…